Way back before
Marvin Mandel campaigning for re-election (An Enterprise File Photo)
Before Mark Sanford,
Maryland Gov. Marvin Mandel Had wife — And Soul mate
Historic Tidbit: In the 1970’s, New Jersey Governor Brendan Byrne had a little tax problem. After raising them, chants of “One-term Byrne were held,” and the Governor himself would later joke that “half the people in the state wouldn’t cross the street to spit at him while the other half would.” Yet when his term came up, Byrne was re-elected by a wide margin. He joked that he “knew his popularity turned a corner when I rode in parades and saw people waving to me with all five fingers again.”
Marvin Mandel campaigning for re-election
(An Enterprise File Photo)
Way back before, Mark Sanford, there was another Governor who had a “soul-mate.” He didn’t have to fly to Argentina to see her, nor did he have to make up excuses about “hiking the Appalachian Trail.” In fact, Maryland Governor Marvin Mandel was quite open about his feelings and his love for another woman who wasn’t his wife. But that’s only half of Mandel’s story. His personal life was also accompanied by a major corruption scandal that led to two trials and numerous appeals, and subjected Marylanders to a whirlwind longer than Nixon and Watergate, which incidentally had wrapped up just before.
Mandel was a Democrat who succeeded Spiro Agnew when he became vice-president in January 1969. A Speaker of the House of Delegates at the time, Mandel would become the state’s first Jewish Governor. He would serve ten years. And one would think his Governorships came in two half’s: prosperous and scandalous. The first half of his administration was prosperous and the voters roared with approval twice. His first full term in 1970 was won with 67%, and his ‘74 bid hardly lower: 63%. That came just after his personal announcement.
In 1974, Mandel informed Marylanders that he and his wife of 33 years, whom he called, “Bootsie,” would be getting divorced. He informed the public that there was another woman, Jeanne Blackistone Dorsey, who was a Leonardstown, Maryland Commissioner, and whose own husband was state’s attorney for St. Mary’s County. Mandel said he was “in love” with Dorsey and “I intend to marry her.” The pair did just that in 1974, and by all accounts enjoyed a happy life together until her death in 2011. Meanwhile, the former Mrs. Mandel threw her husband out of the Governor’s mansion.
Enter the corruption. Mandel had long favored staunch regulations of the horse racing industry. But he suddenly reversed himself and asked lawmakers to double the state’s allowance of horseracing, from 18 days to 36. The Legislature complied. Two months later, he was back again, asking them to raise it to 94. That request didn’t come due to a mere change of heart. Mandel had been given “gifts” of $140,000 in a security investment company and $45,000 in a land deal. Political Corruption in America notes that Dale Hess, one of the men accused, backdated a letter by six years, “claimed that he owed Mandel fees from a legal matter and that the income fees from the security investment was to pay back these fees.”
After indictment (Argenta Images)
In November 1975, a grand jury handed down a 24 count indictment of Mandel on mail fraud charges and racketeering. The trial commenced in September 1976, only to have a mistrial declared when a juror reported being offered a $10,000 bribe to try to foster a not-guilty verdict. The person who made the bribe was linked to the Mafia. While the venue for the second trial was not changed, a Judge was. He was brought up from Tennessee. Meanwhile, Mandel suffered a mild stroke in the midst of his second trial.
It turned out that this was not a mere policy reversal. The owners of the Marlboro Race Track in Prince George’s County and Bowie were involved as well. Despite a plea for leniency and the fact that “every personal detail of his life opened up for the world to see,” Mandel was convicted of 15 counts of mail fraud and one case of extortion. The jury was out 113 hours, which Political Corruption calls the “longest deliberations in history for a federal criminal trial.”
Despite the large counts, Mandel actually got off easy. He could’ve faced 105 years in prison and a $42,000 fine. Instead, he was sentenced to four years in prison. But you think it ended there? Think again.
Mandel’s sentence to prison was deferred pending appeals, which meant he did not have to resign the Governorship. He did however, leave the Governor’s Mansion.
After release from prison (WashingtonPost)
An Appeals Court overturned the conviction, then reversed itself following a retrial. But he could not stay out of prison in perpetuity. Eventually, he reported, but President Reagan pardoned him 19 months in. In 1987, Mandel’s conviction was overturned, at which time Governor Schaefer, a longtime ally, made the pardon complete. This enabled Mandel to resume practicing law.
Still, it was quite a fall for a man who, in Maryland politics, was on top of the world. Mandel was the son of a clothing cutter who received his Bachelor and law degree from the University of Maryland. After serving in the Army, he started out as an East Baltimore lawyer before being his friend, newly elected Congressman Sam Friedel, asked him to run for the Democratic State Central Committee. Mandel said he had no idea what that was but acquiesced.
By 1954, Mandel was elected to the Maryland General Assembly. His colleagues would choose him as Speaker and he’d hold the post for seven years prior to when they elevated him again, this time to the “Free State’s” Governorship. The funny thing is, Mandel was in no way pursuing the job. The Constitution gave the lower House the latitude of choosing a successor and three people were interested. Mandel wasn’t one of them. The trio included Senate Presiden William James, Baltimore lawyer Francis Gallagher, and GOP Congressman Rogers C. B. MortonHe received 126 of 180 votes.
Mandel called himself “a political accident” and The Evening Sun, noted he “becomes Governor without any popular mandate, that one political underpinning which executives in government commonly find indispensable” (that being a man with many friends among his now former colleagues). Be that as it may, Mandel made clear from the start that if Marylanders were expecting a caretaker, they would be disappointed. “Let there be no mistake in anyone’s mind, I shall govern,” he said. The State of Maryland cannot mark time; and I do not accept this office in that spirit.” Like the man or not, he surely kept his word.
In office, he’d be responsible for the subways in both Baltimore (going to Owings Mill), and the DC suburbs, the latter in particular a blessing to commuters who, seeing the still traffic-clogged highways, can only imagine how long getting to work would take without it. He restructured state government by dividing the Executive Branch into 12 departments. The International Association of Airport and Seaport Police was one such creation. The Maryland Toll Facilities Police Academy Training Facility also was created.
Trauma centers opened in Maryland, and the state undertook oversight of the Friendship Airport, renaming it Baltimore-Washington International, There were wetlands protection, judiciary reform, and establishment of the Transportation Trust Fund and the Maryland
In 2007, the Baltimore Sun’s Matthew Dolan reported that the parties in the Mandel case still disagreed. His defense attorney, Arnold Weiner said, “The one thing that was missing was a crime, a terrible injustice.” Some agreed. Mandel will always be remembered for the trial, but the respect as a leader he commanded is back. Governor, Bob Ehrlich, a Republican, appointed him to the Maryland Board of Regents and Mandel reciprocated by endorsing him in 2010.
A number of testimonials have been held on his behalf, with many colleagues attending, including House Minority Leader Steny Hoyer. All spoke warmly of his talents and accomplishments. “I thought this was going to be a tough roast! You tell any lies about me, I’ll tell the truth about you.’ It all worked out fine.”
Mandel even served as a “character witness” on the witness stand for an Ehrlich aide under indictment.
Mandel is now 93 and still practicing law.
Mark Sanford, there was another Governor who had a “soulmate.” He didn’t have to fly to Argentina to see her, nor did he have to make up excuses about “hiking the Appalachian Trail.” In fact, Maryland Governor Marvin Mandel was quite open about his feelings and his love for another woman who wasn’t his wife. But that’s only half of Mandel’s story. His personal life was also accompanied by a major corruption scandal that led to two trials and numerous appeals, and subjected Marylanders to a whirlwind longer than Nixon and Watergate, which incidentally had wrapped up just before.
Mandel was a Democrat who succeeded Spiro Agnew when he became vice-president in January 1969. A Speaker of the House of Delegates at the time, Mandel would become the state’s first Jewish Governor. He would serve as Governor for ten years. And one would think his Governorships came in two half’s: prosperous and scandalous. The first half of his administration was prosperous and the voters roared with approval twice. His first full term in 1970 was won with 67%, and his ’74 bid hardly lower: 63%. That came just after his personal announcement.
In 1974, Mandel announced that he and his wife of 33 years, whom he called, “Bootsie,” would be getting divorced. He informed the public that there was another woman, Jeanne Blackistone Dorsey, who was a Leonardstown, Maryland Commissioner, and whose own husband was state’s attorney for St. Mary’s County. Mandel said he was “in love” with Dorsey and “I intend to marry her.” The pair did just that in 1974, and by all accounts enjoyed a happy life together until her death in 2011. Meanwhile, the former Mrs. Mandel threw her husband out of the Governor’s mansion.
Enter the corruption. Mandel had long favored staunch regulations of the horse racing industry. But he suddenly reversed himself and asked lawmakers to double the state’s allowance of horseracing, from 18 days to 36. The Legislature complied. Two months later, he was back again, asking them to raise it to 94. That didn’t happen because of a mere change of heart. Mandel had been given “gifts” of $140,000 in a security investment company and $45,000 in a land deal. Political Corruption in America notes that Dale Hess, one of the men accused, backdated a letter by six years, “claimed that he owed Mandel fees from a legal matter and that the income fees from the security investment was to pay back these fees.”
In November 1975, a grand jury handed down a 24 count indictment of Mandel on mail fraud charges and racketeering. The trial commenced in September 1976, only to have a mistrial declared when a juror reported being offered a $10,000 bribe to try to foster a not-guilty verdict. The person who made the bribe was linked to the Mafia. While the venue for the second trial was not changed, a Judge was. He came up from Tennessee. Meanwhile, Mandel suffered a mild stroke in the midst of his second trial.
It turned out that this was not a mere policy reversal. The owners of the Marlboro Race Track in Prince George’s County and Bowie. Despite a plea for leniency and the fact that every personal detail of his life opened up for the world to see,” Mandel was convicted of 15 counts of mail fraud and one case of extortion. he jury was out 113 hours, which Political Corruption calls the “longest deliberations in history for a federal criminal trial.”
Despite the large counts, Mandel actually got off easy. He could’ve faced 105 years in prison and a $42,000 fine. Instead, he was sentenced to four years in prison. But you think it ended there? Think again.
Mandel’s sentence to prison was deferred pending appeals, which meant he did not have to resign the Governorship. He did however, leave the Governor’s Mansion. But he did make
An Appeals Court overturned the conviction, then reversed itself following a retrial. But he could not stay out of prison inperpetuity. Eventually, he reported to prison, but President Reagan pardoned him 19 months in. In 1987, Mandel’s conviction was overturned, at which time Governor Schaefer, a longtime ally, made the pardon complete. This enabled Mandel to resume practicing law.
Still, it was quite a fall for a man who, in Maryland politics, was on top of the world. Mandel started out as an East Baltimore lawyer before being elected to the Maryland General Assembly. His colleagues would choose him as Speaker and he’d hold the post for seven years prior to his elevation to the “Free State’s” Governorship.
In office, he’d be responsible for the subways in both Baltimore (going to Owings Mill), and the DC suburbs, the latter in particular a blessing to commuters who, seeing the still traffic-clogged highways, can only imagine how long getting to work would take without it. He restructured state government by dividing the Executive Branch into 12 departments. The International Association of Airport and Seaport Police was one such creation. The Maryland Toll Facilities Police Academy Training Facility also was created.
Trauma centers opened in Maryland, and the state undertook oversight of the Friendship Airport, renaming it Baltimore-Washington International, There were wetlands protection, judiciary reform, and establishment of the Transportation Trust Fund and the Maryland
In 2007, the Baltimore Sun’s Matthew Dolan reported that the parties in the Mandel case still disagreed. His defense attorney, Arnold Weiner said, “the one thing that was missing was a crime,” “a terrible injustice.” Some agreed. Mandel will always be remembered for the trial, but the respect as a leader he commanded is back. Governor, Bob Ehrlich, a Republican, appointed him to the Maryland Board of Regents and Mandel reciprocated by endorsing him in 2010.
A number of testimonials have been held on his behalf, with many colleagues attending, including House Minority Leader Steny Hoyer. All spoke warmly of his talents and accomplishments. “I thought this was going to be a tough roast!. You tell any lies about me, I’ll tell the truth about you.’ It all worked out fine.”
Mandel even served as a “character witness” on the witness stand for an Ehrlich aide under indictment.
Mandel is now 93 and still practicing law.